Holy Spirit reveals (revelation of Scripture)

John 16:12-14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Cor 2:10-13; 2 Peter 3:16; Revelation 22:18–19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; John 17:17,

PS: The Spirit of truth guides into all truth and declares all the will of God to the people through the Scripture.

INTRODUCTION

As the technology and internet grows so the likes of social media grows, meaning that the source of content is no longer limited but this now has created the problem of authenticity. How do you know what you read is true or not? This problem has been exploded by the biggest events that we have face especial to those we didn’t have certainty about, events like Covid-19; vaccination; looting and the arrest of former president Zuma. This has made a lot people to check their source before they read something.

When you hold your Bible and read all the claims that it makes about God; world and human beings , what kind of questions do you have? have you ever wondered if all this is true? What is your confidence in the Word of God?

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (the truth and definer of the truth)

John 16: 13 “When the Spirit of truth comes,..”

Titus 1: 2 “ in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.”

Hebrews 6:18 Talks about the impossibility of God to liar

The Holy Spirit guides to all truth and declares the will of God (superintended(oversight) and opening the eyes of the believers to have faith and trust the Word )

The Spirit guides to all truth...

“13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 1”

1 Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

1 Cor 2:10-13

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1

1 Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

lastly 2 Peter 1:21 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 1

1 Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Illustration:

In the company…

So when the NT was started to be written it was treated in the same character, authority and truthful as the OT because this idea of a written Word of God was not a NT phenomenon OT the Scripture was in a form of a text remember the story of Jesus and scroll. 

When the book of Revelation concluding the BIble it says referring into both NT and OT : Rev 22:18-19

“18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 1”

1 Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Application

We don’t need divinities to know the purpose and what will happen to us when we die for God has revealed all that we need to know about Him, the world we live in, about us and future in the Scripture.

“However, God’s transcendence must be understood in light of African holism and not as God isolating himself from his creation. Holism is the belief that life is interdependent and integrated and is governed by a law of harmony. The Supreme Being is thought to assign duties and responsibilities to lesser spirit beings, gods, and divinities who then interact directly with humanity.1”

1 Mburu, E., 2019. African Hermeneutics, Plateau State, Nigeria; Carlisle, Cumbria: HippoBooks; Langham Publishing.

Now because Scripture contains every wisdom for all life our interaction with it should be daily not when things are not working our way like we use to do with izangoma, or when we want something.

The implication:

“It is also important to understand that traditional African interactions with the Supreme Being are transactional as opposed to relational.1”

1 Mburu, E., 2019. African Hermeneutics, Plateau State, Nigeria; Carlisle, Cumbria: HippoBooks; Langham Publishing.

The character of God must gives us confidence in the Word and knowing that the scripture is the definer of what is true.

John 17: 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.1

1 Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The work of the Holy Spirit didn’t end on the revelation but He continues to help us to understand , to have faith and apply the Scripture in our daily lives and this should shape our attitude towards reading the Scripture. We must approach Scripture with humbleness and prayerfully for we are depended on God the Holy Spirit.